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[shadowdim]

I sometimes feel like I need to create something. I need to. I even start creating, sometimes. But I lose interest eventually.

I like to work under pressure, giving me a day or two to finish something. But with schools and social life and stuff, I can't find much time to do these "Creative Rushes".

What time span do you usually choose for this? (I'm sure you do this too)
Three hours is a bit short, Three days is starting to get long... 24 Hours maybe?

[Snail]

Four hours usually, for arcade-type games.  Typically the first hour goes to concept art and prototyping, the second to finishing the engine, third for enemies/variation, fourth for sound and all the crap I was too lazy to do (which is most of it).  Anything past that and my attention span gives way.

Ten minutes for randomly trying out genres, or for making garbage games that are fun because they're so shockingly bad.

If you haven't seen this yet, it's an interesting talk by cactus on how to make a game in four hours.  Videos of it if you'd rather watch; it's hilarious and I sometimes find myself rewatching it just for the humour.

[Muz]

IMO, they work best as sort of combo moves. The more you accomplish, the longer you can go on. So get the little bits accomplished when you don't have time (design, pseudocode, concept art, etc). Then go on a rush when you do have time.

I find that programming sucks for it. Something always goes wrong when you program. It really kills the flow. Have a kind of premade, non-buggy engine, maybe. Or steal borrow one from someone. Get a pre-made game design, maybe a standard platform, maybe a typical blow terrorists up shooter or save the zelda RPG.

I've gone on a 3 month creative rush from a completely empty design to finish, devoted over 12 hours a day to it, and pounded out a pile of crap. I couldn't make do with much less, high standards

[shadowdim]

Well, that's interesting, the lecture was nice!
I've got some questions.

Typically the first hour goes to concept art and prototyping,

What tools do you use for that part? Do you draw your concept art on paper? Use game-making tools for prototyping (namely, Game Maker)?

the second to finishing the engine,

Do you build a new engine each time, or do you use previously-made code chunks in your games? Here again, what language/program is adapted to 4-Hours rushes?

Ten minutes for randomly trying out genres, or for making garbage games that are fun because they're so shockingly bad.

I don't suppose you have time to make graphics, in ten minutes. Placeholder and developper-art, I guess?
Thanks!

IMO, they work best as sort of combo moves. The more you accomplish, the longer you can go on. So get the little bits accomplished when you don't have time (design, pseudocode, concept art, etc). Then go on a rush when you do have time.

I find that programming sucks for it. Something always goes wrong when you program. It really kills the flow. Have a kind of premade, non-buggy engine, maybe. Or steal borrow one from someone. Get a pre-made game design, maybe a standard platform, maybe a typical blow terrorists up shooter or save the zelda RPG.

I've gone on a 3 month creative rush from a completely empty design to finish, devoted over 12 hours a day to it, and pounded out a pile of crap. I couldn't make do with much less, high standards

I guess that's the key of rapid-programming, now that you say it... Thanks
And, bravo for your hard work

[Pineapple]

I've Ludum Dare'd four times now. This would be my advice for it:

Know how much time you have and scale the periods of time you devote to different things accordingly. I often work for 1 hour during the computer period at my school, sometimes 4 hours after school, and occasionally for 48 hours on a weekend. (ludum dare) Anything I do other than that is a either a trickle of progress (if I have school and stuff) or a flood of it (if I'm on break and have a lot of time to devote) so I completely understand your predicament.

First, take 10-20 minutes to just plan. I usually do this by brainstorming ideas in notepad and making a rough to-do list. Then work on some graphics or something else creative to get motivated. After that, do the programming and other work until you've got a decently finished project. Polishing that is probably the hardest part, though.

[Snail]

What tools do you use for that part? Do you draw your concept art on paper? Use game-making tools for prototyping (namely, Game Maker)?

Game Maker and Photoshop, typically.  I'd draw out what I want it to look like in Photoshop and then slice out the sprites into GM.  Most of the time it looks fugly and I end up scrapping it; takes about three or four tries before it comes out okay.

Do you build a new engine each time, or do you use previously-made code chunks in your games? Here again, what language/program is adapted to 4-Hours rushes?

GML always.  I find that every other language has too much background work to it; spending more time building the structure behind the program rather than the gameplay.  And I'm really against using old engines.  Every time I build an engine I usually find some way to optimize it or improve on some concepts.

Using other people's engines is probably a smart idea if you're just making a generic <insert genre here>, although I suck at reading anyone else's code so it actually slows me down.  If you're just testing out content though (like graphics, sound, anything-not-progging, etc) then just taking a premade engine seems pretty safe.

I don't suppose you have time to make graphics, in ten minutes. Placeholder and developper-art, I guess?
Thanks!

Blocks or really bad two second scribbles.  It's definitely not pretty.  I wouldn't suggest ten minute creative rushes for anything except prototyping ideas.

[oahda]

Four hours usually, for arcade-type games.  Typically the first hour goes to concept art and prototyping, the second to finishing the engine, third for enemies/variation, fourth for sound and all the crap I was too lazy to do (which is most of it).  Anything past that and my attention span gives way.

Ten minutes for randomly trying out genres, or for making garbage games that are fun because they're so shockingly bad.

If you haven't seen this yet, it's an interesting talk by cactus on how to make a game in four hours.  Videos of it if you'd rather watch; it's hilarious and I sometimes find myself rewatching it just for the humour.

How the hell do you program several playable concepts in ten minutes?
How the hell do you program a game at all in four hours?!

I can't finish one in 24. ;_;

[Pineapple]

How the hell do you program a game at all in four hours?!

Concentration, motivation, and impeccable knowledge of the language you're working with.

[shadowdim]

How the hell do you program a game at all in four hours?!

Concentration, motivation, and impeccable knowledge of the language you're working with.

I think I need to work on this one
Thanks!

[oahda]

How the hell do you program a game at all in four hours?!

Concentration, motivation, and impeccable knowledge of the language you're working with.

I have all of that. It still takes more than four hours to complete for me.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

i think this depends on a person's attention span

i've made playable games in 24 hours, but no less than that

most of the games i make take much longer though -- my current game is my longest continuously worked-on game, i started it in may 2007, after i finished immortal defense

[knight]

My two most recent games have both been conceived/built in < 3 hours during small creative rushes like the ones you describe.

[ink.inc]

How the hell do you program several playable concepts in ten minutes?
How the hell do you program a game at all in four hours?!

I can't finish one in 24. ;_;

gam makker

[Pineapple]

How the hell do you program several playable concepts in ten minutes?
How the hell do you program a game at all in four hours?!

I can't finish one in 24. ;_;

gam makker

I've never made a game with game maker.

[tergem]

How the hell do you program several playable concepts in ten minutes?
How the hell do you program a game at all in four hours?!

I can't finish one in 24. ;_;

game ma_kker

Fixed'

For me it's XNA. If you know what to do it will be finished quickly, otherwise you'll waste a ton of time figuring out what way you want to tackle the problem.

Some games take <24 hours, but I'm ambitious with my larger non-practice projects.

EDIT: I'm at my best creatively during the early morning hours 0200-0500 usually. I can get a simple prototype of a concept out the door during that time. Later in the day it is harder for me to get to work.

[oahda]

Okay. I've finished up crap games in less than 24 hours, too. At least twice, as birthday presents. It still took at least ten hours for them both all together, I think.